Australia’s vast forests are carefully, conservatively handled to ensure an accountable amount of wood is gathered. Timber utilises a fairly small quantity of energy throughout processing compared to other building materials like metals and concrete, the timber itself is a carbon storer and has a long working life.

Because it is extremely durable it can be sawn and dressed in a much larger range of sizes upwards of 125mm to 130mm wide and around 14mm in thickness.

It’s this durability and ability to be dressed to such a thickness make sit one of the most popular choices for timber floor coverings.

In NSW, we are very lucky to have access to such an excellent supply of rich coloured hardwood. Though many homeowners will make the choice for the darker tones, many individuals have actually desired to go to something with lighter tones while retaining the warmth and charm of hardwood.

This is where Blackbutt has become a favourite. There is a richness in the tone which is actually shown to be extremely popular. The New South Wales range tends towards pale colours and pinks, whilst the Western Australian range tends towards pale colours and light browns and gold.

Blackbutt flooring is available in the following grades:

Standard & better grade – has a larger variety of features having mixed cleaner boards and moderately featured boards. It can be thought of as the leading 50% cleanest boards.

Australiana grade – has a moderate quantity of natural features. Australiana grade gives off the more natural side of the hardwood species.

Natural grade – has the highest amount of natural features. A rough, rustic appearance that flaunts the hardwood in its rawest natural appeal. As a rule of thumb, you can anticipate at least one significant natural feature in every board. This grade is more often known as ‘rustic grade’.

Overall, Blackbutt flooring is an excellent option in Newcastle for those who need a durable and long-lasting floor particularly for growing families. Blackbutt flooring also has a high resistance to excessive wear and tear, which makes it a good choice for property investors providing a high-end feel in their properties.

The floor boards come in a variety of neutral, easy-to-match colours; this makes it particularly easy for homeowners to retrofit the flooring into their home’s existing décor.

If you think Blackbutt flooring would be a good fit for your home, contact Freedom Flooring by clicking on the contact us image below and complete our enquiry form.

Bamboo and traditional hardwood flooring have there own unique appeals.

Hardwood flooring is one of the most preferred flooring material for new home construction and renovations. Held in high regard for its exceptional unique aesthetics and warmth, hardwood timber is highly versatile and sustainable.

In recent times though, there has been a shift in trends as the popularity of Bamboo continues to rise.

Bamboo typically used for screens and partitions and perhaps even more common in the manufacture of furniture, it has become a useful product for timber flooring.

In general, whilst it’s commonly thought to be a timber product, Bamboo is in fact a tree like grass. Don’t be fooled with it being a type of grass though, as it’s often harder than the more common hardwood timber species such as oak.

When comparing hardwood & Bamboo flooring, the main point to understand is the fact Bamboo on its own is a weak material.

Bamboo flooring materials need to go through a manufacturing process to create a product that can withstand to high volumes of human traffic, furniture and other points of impact, wear and tear.

Is Bamboo Hardwood Flooring Durable?

Bamboo comes in two types: strand and horizontal. For residential and commercial properties experiencing high foot traffic, it is preferred that strand woven Bamboo be used for its high durability.

Andrew Miller suggests Bamboo flooring is widely sold all over the world because it is a eco friendly floor product compared to any other hardwood. Another great advantage is its high durability and stability. Many people have their doubts over how bamboo floors are strong and durable.

After all Bamboo is a grass, it is very soft and thin…

Bamboo floor strength and durability does not come from its original bamboo stalk. To achieve the Bamboo flooring product we all know, Bamboo is cut into strips and laminated into floor planks.

These laminated bamboo planks have a very high density than most of its hardwood species counterparts. Since there is no real test or data points for durability, we can use hardness and density testing and data to arrive at a conclusion of durability.

What Is The Hardest Type Of Bamboo Flooring?

Strand woven bamboo flooring is by far the hardest and most durable type of bamboo flooring.

SS House Tips suggested that Natural Bamboo is harder than Red Oak, where as carbonised Bamboo is closer to Black Walnut which is a soft hardwood. Strand woven Bamboo is the hardest type of Bamboo ranking 250% harder than Red Oak on the Janka Hardness Scale.

In all reality, any hardwood or Bamboo flooring is susceptible to scratches and minor scuff marks from everyday wear and tear. Hardwood species with a lower Janka hardness rating than Bamboo can actually perform better.

One feature of Bamboo is that it does not possess even hardness qualities across its surface and is more likely to scratch and dent just as much or perhaps slightly more than any other hardwood floor type.

Mark D. Elwell, owner and operator of Bamboo Flooring Hawaii “There are some stores selling very cheap, immature bamboo flooring that is coated with only a few coats of finish that are unfortunately giving bamboo flooring a bad name,” he says.

“We tell people you get what you pay for, and make sure you are comparing apples to apples when you are buying your flooring. Be educated, and ask about the bamboo maturity, finishes, and warranties.”

What Is Strand Bamboo Flooring?

As already mentioned, Bamboo is a type of grass, not actual wood. Because of this, bamboo is highly fibrous meaning it needs to go through a manufacturing process for it to be considered a flooring product.

Ordinary manufacturing methods laminate these fibres one on top of the other in a horizontal direction.
Strand woven bamboo flooring is far more durable than vertical or horizontal bamboo flooring because the cross-hatched strands act in concert to hold the material together.

Strand Bamboo flooring is typically made by slicing mature bamboo poles or culms into strips. These culms are crosscut to length and then sliced into strips depending on the width desired before being woven together. To remove starch and sugars the strips of bamboo are boiled in a solution of boric acid or lime.

The resulting block of strand woven bamboo is then milled into strand woven bamboo flooring planks with tongues and grooves.

When bamboo is made into strand woven bamboo flooring the anti-microbial properties of bamboo remain thus making bamboo flooring safer and healthier than hardwood flooring because not only is it allergen free but it also fights off pathogens.

What Is The Thickness Of Bamboo Flooring?

Strand woven bamboo flooring has various thickness because of its unique manufacturing process.

Strand woven bamboo is sliced from bamboo block which is pressed with bamboo strips. 14mm is the standard thickness, but we also can slice bamboo block into 12mm, 10mm flooring to fit the customers needs.

Strand woven bamboo is very flexible on the thickness.

Hardwood vs Bamboo Conclusion

Bamboo comes in two types: strand and vertical. Most people in the industry say the strand stuff is much stronger than traditional bamboo flooring. “On a hardness scale a good quality bamboo in the horizontal cut is around 1,450 p.s.i. on a Janka Hardness Scale.

The stranded bamboo is compressed and bonded with resins so is over 3,000 p.s.i. Strand woven bamboo is sold frequently for high traffic situations such as retail stores, restaurants, galleries, etc.

But bamboo also has drawn attention for its looks, though for a time only natural and caramelised tones were available. Today, manufacturers provide a large range of Bamboo flooring choices with a multitude of stained options and textures including hand-scraped products that look like hardwood.

Hardwood, of course, has nothing to prove. Hardwood has built a reputation for being a high quality and aesthetic pleasing floor product.

Both Hardwood and Bamboo have assumed a high profile in residential home building and commercial properties. Whilst Bamboo is still relatively new to Australian builders and householders, hardwood is very familiar to everyone. It’s just as unique and durable as bamboo, and just as versatile and green.

A sense of luxury, warmth and a high end look to complement the style of the finished renovation.

Timber flooring is relatively easy to maintain and keep clean, however with age and usage they will need polishing, or in the case of a full home reno, they will need to be fully restored.

This is where timber floor sanding and polishing is recommended.

If your timber floors require this type of service, then we recommend calling in the experts.

As homeowners, it might be tempting to perform the project yourself.

Newcastle has many options available for the hire of floor sanding equipment such as belt sanders, commercial grade vacuum systems and dust suppression systems that may allow homeowners to reduce the initial expense.

Of course, floor sanding isn’t an easy task.

You may be able to learn online some tips and tricks, however mastering the art of floor sanding and polishing to get an even finish takes time.

Freedom Flooring has a team of timber flooring specialists to help you sort through the many options available to you and can work on various types of projects including home renovations, commercial properties, community halls, restaurants, schools, conference centers etc.

Our industry knowledge and experience has us well prepared for all types of timber flooring.

As the timber floor sanding process involves many various stages, we will work with you to maintain the most efficient project timeline as possible.

After the project is completed, our job doesn’t stop there.

We will advise you on the best care & maintenance practices to keep your freshly polished timber floors in a pristine condition for many years to come.

Servicing the greater Newcastle region, we are capable of providing professional floor sanding services to any location within.

Once you have decided on the project outcomes, we will perform the project in a timely manner with the least amount of disturbance to your home or business.

Polished timber flooring can showcase the natural beauty of your home or property.

Call us today for a free quote, and we look forward to working with you on your next flooring project.